How To Remove Scratches And Stains From Stone Floors

Floor stone is tough. However, that doesn’t mean it is resistant to scratches and stains. Often, minor scratches penetrate the sealant on top of the stone. Almost every natural stone tile can scratch and stain, including the common stone tiles seen in many homes. It could occur when you place strong or rough items on the stone surface.

As time goes by, the scratches will continuously go deeper into the stone. Have you ever experienced this on your stone floors? There are simple solutions to get rid of those scratches and stains. You should now cheer up because we’re here to help you fix them.

Keep reading this article to find out how to remove scratches and stains from the stone floor. Before we jump into the remedies, how about we first examine the differences between stains and scratches?

Scratch

Whenever sand or an abrasive substance touches the surface of the stone, it can lead to a scratch. It may ultimately dull the finish on the surface. The tougher the stone, the more prone it is to scratch. For this reason, granite is more scratch-resistant than slate, marble surface, or travertine.

Stain

A stain is formed when a substance drops on the surface of the stone and soaks into it. It causes a mark that is darker than the stone, giving it a dirty and ugly appearance. Stones like marble, tiles and travertine are more prone to stain because of their increased absorption rate. Therefore, every natural stone should be thoroughly sealed after installation. It can be resealed every 12-24 months too.

How to remove scratches from stone tile 

To get rid of scratches on your natural stone floor, you can use hand or polishing pads attached to an electric drill for deeper scratches.

For light scratches, wash the scratched area with a damp cloth/soft brush, warm water, and soapy water. Add mineral oil to a paper towel and apply it with a little pressure. You can also buffer the surface of your tile floor if there are slight surface scratches. If you notice scratches on the entire floor, mop the floor with warm water to remove surface dust.

After this, wash the stone tile with a soft cloth and use plain water to clear off the cleaning solution. Leave the floor to dry thoroughly. Next, feel the scratches with your fingertips. When you notice deep scratches, smoothen the area with a 120-grit diamond polishing pad.

You can order it from online hardware or lapidary store or a local stone dealer close to you. Substitute the 120-grit disk for a 200-grit polishing pad and make a couple of passes to remove any final scratches in the stone. Also, replace the 200-grit diamond polishing pad with a 400-grit. Continuously polish it in a circular motion to generate an even finish. 

This polishing pad does not leave the dazzling, shiny sheen found on granite. But it makes the tile look clean and even. If you want a brighter shine, go for 800-grit and 1,200-grit after applying the 400-grit polishing pad. Run your finger over the tile and examine the tile from different positions. 

Do this to ensure there is no trace of a residual scratch. In case scratch remains, use your angle grinder repeatedly until you can’t notice it with your fingers any longer. Where there is no longer any trace of a scratch, unplug, [remove this comma] and store your angle grinder. Carry out a thorough cleaning on the tile with a vacuum cleaner. 

Wash the tile with water to remove hidden dust from the vacuum cleaner.

Note: It is critical to identify the type of scratch you are working on. But also, knowing how to eliminate it despite its cause can help make your stone surfaces invincible. Firenza Stone is a leading expert in hard surface restoration. We can help restore your stone to its original beauty.

How to remove stains from tile floors

Etch marks

When a surface is scratched, the corrosion makes it etched and stained at the same time. Rust stains, red wine, and other darkly pigmented materials are major causes of stone stains. The acid from any of these materials causes etches. So when this occurs, simply cover the spill with a towel to absorb it.

Next, wet the surface of the stone with warm water and apply a dish soap. Let it soak up before you remove it. You can also use a buff pad to clear the etch mark. If the stain remains, use a poultice to remove it.

A poultice is a thick paste often made of bran, flour, herbs, and other ingredients. It is applied with a piece of cloth on the stone surface. As it dries, it dissolves stain particles and also absorbs the moisture in it. You may need to reapply the poultice about five times until the etch mark disappears.

Now, cover the thick paste with plastic and tape the edges. Leave the poultice for 24-48hrs to dry before cleaning with a damp cloth.

Metal stain

Iron, rust, copper, and bronze are causes of metal stains on stone floors. Iron or rusty stains range from orange to brown colors. They are shaped like pins, screws, nuts, containers, vases, and metallic furniture. Copper and bronze stains are greenish or muddy-brown. Dampness nearby or embedded bronze, copper, and metal furniture causes them.

Poultices remove metal stains. Although rusty stains and deep-seated stains are hard to remove and the tile floor may remain permanently stained.

Organic

Organic stains are caused by food items like fruit, tea, coffee, food, paper. Sometimes they can also be caused by bird droppings, tree bark, leaves, and so on. Such foods leave a pinkish-brown stain on natural stone. But they may fade if the stain’s source is removed.

For outdoor organic stains, natural sun and rain will wash them off (after removing the causes of the stains). While indoor stains should be treated with a mixture of hydrogen peroxide (12%) hair bleaching strength and drops of ammonia. For easy removal, Mangia macchia spot and stain remover does it best! It doesn’t change the color of the stone, nor will it condemn the stone’s finish. 

Paint

Remove small amounts of paints with lacquer thinner or scrape it off with a razor blade. To remove greasy paint, use only wood or plastic scrapers. Acrylic paints and latex paints do not stain. Unlike latex and acrylic paints, oil-based paints, sealants, linseed oil, putty, or caulks cause oily stains.

Heavy paint coverage should be dissolved with a stone pro deep heavy-duty cleaner. This professional stone restorer is the ideal paint stain removal for polished surfaces such as marble, granite, and travertine. Therefore, it is effective and contains no adverse effects on the surface of the stone. Paint strippers can scratch the stone’s surface since it contains caustic soda; causing re-polishing.

You will find a good paint stripper in paint centers. Always put on an eye shield, rubber gloves, and work in a ventilated area. In addition, abide by the manufacturer’s instructions before using this product on natural stone floors. 

Ink

Ink stains are from pen or marker. On light-colored stone, you can remove ink stains with bleach or hydrogen peroxide. Whereas lacquer thinner/acetone cleans ink stains on dark stones.

Oil-based

Oil-based stains include grease, milk, cosmetics, tar, or cooking oil. An oil-based stain must liquefy so that the cause of the stain will clear away. Get rid of the oil-based stain with a liquid cleanser, household detergent, baking soda, ammonia, acetone, or mineral spirits. With our stone pro deep heavy-duty cleaner, you will easily remove oil-based stains and grime on your natural stone floor.

Smoke and fire

Smoke damage older stones and to maintain the original beauty of a natural stone, smoke or fire stained fireplaces may need a comprehensive cleansing. You can save time and energy by using “smoke removers” available in the market. Always repeat the cleaning process after the stone floor dries until it’s well cleaned.

Biological

Remove biological stains such as algae, fungi, moss, and mildew with ammonia. Dilute a half cup of ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, or bleach in a gallon of water and pour in a spray bottle. Spray the content on the stone floor. Avoid mixing bleach and ammonia! The combination of both substances generates a toxic and lethal gas!

Water stains

Water stains on stone floors are a surface accumulation of hard water. First, scrape off the water spot with a new razor blade or buffer. Next, use a soft cloth to soak up the spot with a granite cleaner and scrub with medium pressure. Vinegar is a safe household cleaner that combats water stains.

Add some vinegar to a spray bottle and spray on the surface area. Allow the substance to sit for five to fifteen minutes to break down the minerals in the water stain.

Conclusion

Natural stone scratches and stain removals are specialized techniques that shouldn’t be mistaken for mere “cleaning”. Unskilled persons, such as tilers, carpet cleaners, wood floor refinishers, and others who do not specialize solely in marble and stone maintenance, might unwittingly destroy a beautiful stone floor and incur additional costs of professional repair.

At Firenza Stone, we aim to become the best in matters related to stones, so why not also help you ensure that they’re properly cleaned? After decades of experience, we use the world’s best technologies and restoration materials to ensure you get the best floor cleaning products in the market.